Mutual
by Firefly-Maj
Summary: Legolas in grave peril? Aragorn to the rescue! But life is what happens while you re making other plans, and of course our friends will have a hard time to deal with that... No slash, slightly AU. Disclaimer: NOT mine, except for the horses
1. An Unexpected Visitor

**Chapter 1: An Unexpected Visitor  
**

--

Aragorn bridled his horse. With the evening, darkness was approaching fast, and he decided to stop for the night. He had found a clearing with a small stream where he would be able to water his steed.

After he had removed saddle and harness, he laid one hand on the animal´s neck and led it to the water. His horse, Ragnar, nuzzled him affectionately before starting to drink. Aragorn smiled and turned to set up his camp.

He had made good progress and would meet his friend Legolas the following day, if the elf had not been delayed. They had agreed to spend some time together, as they had not seen each other for quite some time now.

Aragorn wrapped his cloak around himself, as it grew cold once night had come, and laid down next to the fire. He could see Ragnar´s outline, who was still grazing. The steady sound of grass being plucked out finally lulled the man and he fell asleep.

--

The night had grown old when he awoke with a start. For a few seconds, he wondered what had happened, but then he felt a horse´s nose nudging him. "Ragnar", he exclaimed, "what-" But then he saw Ragnar standing a few feet away. Looking up, he realized that it was a white horse who had woken him. Aragorn sprang to his feet at once and assessed the animal. With a sinking feeling he recognized Alba, Legolas´ white mare, Ragnar´s mother.

And Alba seemed distressed, for she nudged Aragorn again and whinnied, stamping her hooves impatiently.

Something must have happened to Legolas, otherwise Alba would not have come alone, not like this.

Aragorn felt a shiver running down his spine, but he did not hesitate. Alba did not seem hurt, but she had an air of urgency about her.

"It will be alright", the man said, not only in order to reassure Alba but himself as well, and quickly broke up his camp.

When he was ready, he told Ragnar to follow him and went after Alba. The first light of dawn began to show, but under the dense foliage of the trees it was still dark, though the white mare seemed to glow faintly. Aragorn had not lit a torch but trusted the horse to find its way back to wherever it had come from. As silently as possible they walked through the night.

--

At midday Alba finally stopped. She lifted her head, her ears playing nervously, and snored quietly.

Aragorn marvelled at her time and again; without hesitating, she had led him on, seemingly very sure of her way, and had not stopped once.

He listened as well; at first, he heard nothing apart from the usual sounds of the forest, but then there seemed to be something else: a faint noise, not belonging there.

It did not seem to come nearer but was headed eastwards. Aragorn motioned for the horses to stay, then he went in the direction of the noise. When he approached it, he could discern many heavy footfalls, and he did not like the sound of that.

The ground was sloping, which proved to be an advantage for the ranger, as he soon could see some motion further down. Careful not to be detected, he drew nearer and caught his breath when he finally recognized who was marching there: Orcs.

A band of Orcs, and one of them seemed to be carrying a large, inanimate bundle. Aragorn´s heart sank when he saw the strands of blond hair trailing down from it. They had gotten Legolas. For a few seconds, he did not breathe at all. He could not see if the elf was still alive, or what they had done to him, but the situation was bad enough anyway. He counted a total of thirty Orcs, far too many to fight against on his own.

He would have to follow them, maybe there would be an opportunity to strike later. Just as he was debating if he should go back to get the horses, who would slow him down and increase the risk of being detected on the one hand, but might prove useful on the other, Alba breathed down his neck. Aragorn jumped: "Sweet Valar!", he whispered.

Alba eyed him intently.He stroked her soft muzzle: "I will have to pursue them", he said very softly, "which will take a lot of patience and sneaking about."

He was reluctant of sending her away, but she might be of more use if she went to get help. And the elven mare seemed to understand his thoughts, because she gently laid her nose against his chest for a while, just like she had done all those years before, and then turned back as if to leave.

"Good girl", Aragorn murmured and went to say goodbye to Ragnar as well. "Stay with your mother", he said, briefly leaning his forehead against the horse´s,"she will take care of you." He took his pack off the saddle, shouldered his bow and quiver, patted Ragnar and turned to follow the Orcs.

--

His worry for Legolas increased with every passing hour, since whenever the ranger got close enough to catch a glimpse on how the elf fared, he did not seem to have moved once. Aragorn prayed that he was still alive, that he was not beyond aid already.

--

**TBC**


	2. Inevitable

**Chapter 2: Inevitable**

--

When the Orcs finally stopped to make camp for the night, for the first time Aragorn wondered about this, as they usually avoided daylight and traveled in the dark. Something about these creatures seemed different, which made the whole situation even more abominable, since he did not know if they were as stupid as commonly known or maybe of another breed.

He sighed; he would find out soon enough.

Although he felt slightly weary, not having slept more than a few hours the previous night, he stayed alert.

But there was no chance to get near the elf unseen, as the Orc who had been carrying Legolas had unceremoniously dumped him on the ground right in the company´s middle. There he was left lying, the Orcs being only interested in their food.

Early the following morning they broke camp and headed off again; Aragorn had tried to eavesdrop in order to get to know why in goodness´ sake they had captured the elf, but the Orcs had hardly talked at all.

--

Aragorn followed them in a safe distance all day. That night, Legolas ended up as a heap on the ground as well. The ranger had not much hope left that his friend might still be alive; he had not seen anyone giving him any water at least, and his body looked terribly lifeless. The Orcs, however, did not ignore their prisoner again, but tried to wake him up. They emptied one of their waterskins about him and kicked him, but to no avail. Aragorn balled his hands into fists, having a hard time watching it. He briefly considered an ambush, but knew he would not be fast enough to kill the whole group before they would strike back, and he did not have enough arrows anyway. They might kill Legolas before the end.

When the elf still did not stir, one of the Orcs, an unusual big and brawny fellow, took his scimitar and knelt down next to the unconscious figure: "I have had it", he growled, "if the scum does not want to wake up, I will make it!" He grabbed Legolas´ ear, obviously intending to cut it off. But before the blade touched the skin, a sudden voice rang out: "Stop!"

--

The Orcs gaped. There, right in front of them, stood a man. He seemed to be alone and looked slightly ragged, but something in his voice demanded their full attention.

The Orc who had wanted to cut off the elf´s ear got up and glared at him: "What do you want?", he barked. "Who are you to get in my way?"

Aragorn felt cold fury welling up in him. He dreaded what was to come, but he did no have another choice if he wanted to get Legolas out of there as unscathed as possible.

"I want you to take your filthy hands off the elf", he said, "and it is none of your business who I am." His voice, though quiet, reminded of a predator shortly before it attacked, and rendered the Orc, who obviously considered himself to be the leader of the group, speechless for a moment. He then broke into a malicious grin, which never reached his eyes: "You seem unable to count", he snarled, "for you are outnumbered by far but still think you can simply _demand _us to do as you please?"

The other Orcs snickered.

Their leader continued: "Let me make this clear", he said, "I am in command here, and if I wish, you will die just because you interrupted me."

Aragorn was well aware of the Orcs who had by now surrounded him, but there was no turning back.

"What do you want with him?", he demanded.

"_No_", the Orc said slowly, approaching him. "What do _you_ want with him?"

Aragorn just stared at him.

"You seem to know him", the Orc said,leering. "Which might spare us the efforts of trying to wake him, since we can just ask you about what we want know."

With that, he nodded towards his men, who grabbed Aragorn´s arms and held him firmly. Aragorn hated this, but at least he had momentarily drawn the creature´s attention away from Legolas.

"What did you do to him?", he growled.

"Oh, just a few blows to the head when he would not cooperate", the Orc said lightly. "But it is I who asks the questions here!"

Inwardly, Aragorn winced. _A few blows to the head_ could mean anything, and if Legolas had not woken up since, he seemed to be seriously hurt.

"So", the Orc leaned forward to face the man, "who are you?"

Aragorn said nothing.

The Orc shook his head: "You will gain nothing out of this but the wish that you had never shown yourself", he spat, "but if you answer me you might at least make things easier for our little prince here. Or- just for you to get my meaning, I will have to continue and cut him to shreds before your very eyes. See if that will make you reconsider."

The others had meanwhile disarmed Aragorn, and one of them advanced their leader now and showed him the weapons.

"Of elvish make", he observed and looked at his second captive with new interest.

Aragorn ground his teeth and called himself a fool for bringing himself into this situation. But he could not have let the Orc mutilate Legolas.

He was well aware that he would have a hard time to keep their captors from doing exactly that without giving anything away. He wondered about the intelligence they wished to gather from the elf; they already knew that Legolas was a prince, so it might have something to do with the realm of Mirkwood, but he might as well stop speculating.

The Orc assessed Aragorn´s stony face: "Maybe I shall just start and see what happens as I go along", he said with a nasty grin, and motioned for his men to bring Legolas. They picked him up and dropped him on the ground right before Aragorn. He beheld Legolas´ pale face, blood-crusted at the temple, and could not but worry for him.

The Orc knelt down next to him and grabbed his ear again.

"Stop it!", Aragorn yelled. "I will tell you what you need to know, just leave him be."

The Orc considered this: "No, I think I will cut off his ear nevertheless, to remind you of what happens if you lie."

"No!", Aragorn struggled to get free and received a kick in the stomach. The air being driven out of him, he doubled over as far as possible. He gasped, trying not to heed the pain. When he finally was able to draw breath and open his eyes again, he found that the Orc had not cut off Legolas´ ear but was staring at him with a mixture of expectancy and menace.

"That went well", he said smugly, causing the other Orcs to snicker again. "I might not have to continue as of yet. Just as long as you remember this."

He got up and faced Aragorn once again: "Who are you?", he repeated in a low, threatening voice.

"I go by the name of Strider", Aragorn answered reluctantly, his voice flat.

"Strider... that does not sound familiar", the Orc said. "And how does a fellow like you know an elven princeling?"

"I am a Ranger and have been traveling in the forest of Mirkwood", Aragorn said.

The Orc growled: "You are lying! No one _travels_ in the forest of Mirkwood", he spat.

"I am not lying", Aragorn said, barely able to keep calm, "and obviously you have never heard about Rangers, otherwise you would not have accused me of that."

"I see. And what makes these so-called Rangers so _special_?"

Aragorn looked him straight in the eyes: "They can avoid to be seen if they wish", he said, not wanting to elaborate any further. "That is why I have been able to follow you for two days."

The Orc frowned: "But now I have you nevertheless", he finally said, "and since you seem to consider yourself so clever, you would do well to tell me all about King Thranduil, his dwellings and how they are protected."

Aragorn´s thoughts raced; he knew that something strange was going on in Mirkwood, something to do with the shadow which the Wood Elves were highly worried about, and he would not help these creatures to make it worse. So he had to invent something that sounded credible; as far as he could tell, they were not headed in Mirkwood´s direction and might not find out that he had lied too soon, which would buy him and Legolas precious time, even if they would not manage to escape.

So he started to talk about the king´s home and guards visibly reluctant, hesitating several times and allowing the Orc to prod him to go on, even though this meant to receive some vicious blows, randomly placed. Inwardly, he asked the Thranduil and Legolas for forgiveness, even though he tried not to give anything away.

When he finally fell silent and no more questions were asked, he prayed that they believed him.

"For your own sake I hope you told the truth", the Orc hissed but seemed content for the time being. Aragorn had no reason for relief, however.

"And now", the Orc said, "it is time to teach you some manners." And he landed his fist in Aragorn´s stomach. "I would kill you", he added, while Aragorn struggled to straighten up again, "but in case the elf dies, you might come in handy as a replacement. If you do not die as well, that is."

--

**TBC**


	3. Perilous

**Chapter 3: Perilous  
**

--

Legolas cautiously opened his eyes and peered around; only one Orc was to be seen, but he was dozing, leaning against a tree. Legolas slowly sat up, his limbs stiff from immobility. His arms were bound behind his back, but the Orcs had not bothered to further secure him, whereas he found Aragorn lying next to him, his outstretched arms and legs bound to four short poles in the ground. Blood crusted on his left temple and cheek, and he seemed unconscious. Guiltily, Legolas bend over him: "Aragorn", he whispered. "Can you hear me?... Aragorn!"

The ranger moaned softly, and after the elf had adressed him repeatedly, opened his eyes. He looked confused, but when he recognized his friend, relief spread on his face. "Legolas", he said, very low, "how are you?" Legolas felt even more guilty at the clearly audible concern in Aragorn´s voice.

"I am alright", he said softly. "How do you feel? Did they hurt you badly?"

"No, they did not.", Aragorn said, although he could very well feel the tension of the skin where undoubtedly bruises would begin to spread.

Legolas hesitated before he continued: "I do not know how to tell you this... I just pretended to be unconscious." He sighed at Aragorn´s look: "I wanted to avoid further beating and questioning, so when I awoke from unconsciousness the last time, I just did not show that I had come round but let them believe I was still out of it."

Aragorn stared at him incredulously before he broke into silent laughter. "You fooled even me", he said. "I was so worried..."

Legolas looked at him apologetically: "I know", he said, downcast, "and I am very sorry for it, even more so as you are in danger now because of me. And now look at you", he added, sorrowful. "I very nearly had given up my disguise, had I not known how hardy you are. Still it grieved me greatly to hear them beating you."

Aragorn sighed and tucked at his bonds, but to no avail. "It does not seem like I have made new friends", he said, not wanting to show how his entire body ached due to the beating and the bonds.

"It is alright, Legolas", he added quietly, when he saw how downtrodden his friend looked. "You should better lie down again, in case they see you."

Legolas could not leave it at that: "I wish I could at least release you from that awful position", he said, and remained sitting.

"It is bearable", Aragorn said, something else now occupying his mind: "Did you hear what I told them?", he asked.

"Yes, and I think you deceived them very well", Legolas said.

"Do you know why they are so interested in your father´s palace?"

"I have not the last inkling of an idea", Legolas admitted. "For Mirkwood has already fallen under a shadow, as you know, and they would gain nothing from destroying my father´s dwellings. "

Aragorn considered this: "Maybe they think it would be a suitable means to drive the Wood-elves out of the forest", he said.

Legolas snored: "As if!"

They fell silent.

"Legolas", Aragorn said after a while, "please! You should keep up your pretence by all means."

He could see his friend frown and quickly continued to speak: "That way, they cannot use me against you, and you will be able to save your strength."

"But they might take it out on you", Legolas objected, feeling that Aragorn should not be punished for his own sake.

"Better they take it out on me than on both of us", Aragorn replied firmly. "If there will ever be a chance of escape, at least one of us should be able to. So it might be reasonable to keep their focus on me."

"I would never try to escape without you", Legolas gasped.

Aragorn closed his eyes, all of a sudden feeling very tired. He should have known Legolas would say so.

"I know. But if you had to, I would not hold it against you", he finally said. "The point is, you should under no circumstances give up the only protection from them that you have, and if there is a way out of here, do not hesitate, because they will not either."

Legolas fell silent, knowing full well that Aragorn was right. So he lowered himself back onto the grass, but felt like he had let down his friend.

"Do not worry", Aragorn said softly, having guessed the elf´s thoughts, "it will be alright..."

--

The Orcs rose at dawn; three of them came over to their prisoners to release Aragorn and see if Legolas had woken up.

They cut the bonds at Aragorn´s ankles first, then two of them grabbed his arms while the third cut the bonds at his wrists.

Pain shot through him when they pulled him to his feet, and his legs would not support him at first. His hands were bound in front of him, then one of the orcs gave him a waterskin: "Drink", he commanded, and Aragorn was glad, even though the water had a slightly stale taste.

"The elf needs water as well", he said, so the Orc, after a moment´s consideration, knelt down next to Legolas and made him swallow the liquid rather roughly by clamping one of his hands over the elf´s nose. Aragorn knew how disgusted his friend must be at this, but at least he got something to drink.

He felt the life returning to his limbs, a prickling sensation which mercilessly reminded him that he was chilled to the bone, as it was becoming autumn and the night had been cold. Lying motionlessly without anything to keep off the chill coming from the ground had not been very helpful.

A rope was tied to his bonds, and when the Orcs started marching again, he was pulled along, while Legolas was being carried by one of the stronger Orcs again.

The Ranger felt stiff and sore and still thirsty, but he was glad to move, as it would at least warm him up.

--

They marched all day; at first, Aragorn had no problems to keep up, but in the afternoon the Orcs seemed to have become bored, so they started to poke him and tuck at the rope in order to make him stumble. He ground his teeth and said nothing, concentrating hard on his balance. He felt weary and dried out, and the lack of sleep finally caught up with him.

He wondered how Legolas fared. Dangling upside down all the time and pretending to be unconscious could not be very pleasant either.

--

When the Orcs finally stopped walking, Aragorn felt like simply dropping down and close his eyes, come what may. But of course he could not do so.

The leading Orc advanced him: "You will make sure the elf will eat something!", he ordered, "but I warn you: do not try anything that might prove to be unhealthy for you!"

He thrust a bit of dry, grey bread and another waterskin in Aragorn´s hands. The man sat down next to the elf, settled his friend´s head on his lap and helped him eat. Legolas ever so slightly wrinkled his nose, but swallowed it nevertheless, as he was starved.

When they were done, Aragorn lightly rested his bound hands on Legolas´chest. They did not have the opportunity to speak to each other, as too many Orcs were close, watching them, but this way he could at least give Legolas some consolation and warmth. He would have liked to ask him how the Orcs had gotten hold of him in the first place, but it would have to wait. He looked down at the elf, studying the fair, pale face which was so familiar to him, then looked at his own bloodied wrists and subdued a sigh. He could not but worry for them both.

--

**TBC**


	4. No Cuddling

Hello all, meaning my mostly silent readers: it would be great if you not only read but reviewed as well, because feedback is the author´s air and chocolate, the salt in our soup, the Aragorn to our Legolas...so I would greatly appreciate it. It´s also just nice to communicate with people who live far away but share the same interests and whom you otherwise would never have "met"...

In this chapter, things are turning from bad to worse for our friends, both of whom are having a hard time, if very differently...

Enjoy!

--

**Chapter 4: No Cuddling**

--

Aragorn was tired, and he did not want to think anymore. But his thoughts were racing nevertheless; he had been bound to four poles again, and due to the gradually increasing pain in his joints and the cold he was unable to drift off to sleep.

He could not see Legolas, who was lying a few feet away, but it was good to know he was there, if equally helpless.

--

Legolas wished he could undo the tight bonds that secured his hands, but he did not dare to move. If the Orcs saw it, his disguise would be spent. He knew Aragorn was right, but it made him mad to have to keep his eyes closed for so long, and to stay limp like that. He knew he was better off than his friend, as elves did not feel the cold and also healed faster than humans. He had indeed been hit on the head quite severely a few days ago, but he hardly felt that anymore. He was tired as well, a weariness that settled in his head rather than in his bones. He hated to be this helpless, and he desperately wished to speak to Aragorn, see if he was alright, and ask him how he had found him at all.

It had been very comforting to be close to him for a short while, even if it had meant to swallow the disgusting bread and be fed like a child. He had felt that Aragorn´s hands had been shaking ever so slightly, and assumed that he must be exhausted after the day´s walk. So he had dared to speak, had whispered only one short word: "Lean."

And Aragorn, despite his weariness, had understood, and closing his eyes, had leaned forward until his forehead had touched the elf´s. Legolas had immediately sensed the distress and sorrow which troubled his friend´s mind, similar to his own but more desperate, and had tried to comfort him, had tried to make him see that there was still light as long as they did not give up hope and trust in each other.

He could feel that Aragorn was starting to calm down soon, but then an Orc had approached them and viciously kicked the Ranger´s arm: "No cuddling!", he had leered, causing the others to laugh. Aragorn had winced and barely been able to suppress a painful hiss. Legolas had nearly lost his patience, if his friend had not held him down with his good arm, putting gentle but firm pressure on his chest to tell him not to rise and shout.

They then had pulled Aragorn away from him, and Legolas hoped he had been able to find some rest meanwhile.

--

Early the next morning the Orcs roused again. When they pulled Aragorn up, his knees sagged, having been immobile for too long, stiff from the cold and still weary from exhaustion. He could not help but sink against one of the Orcs, which growled: "Do not try that again, filth!"

The group´s leader joined them: "What did he do?", he demanded.

"He tried to attack me, sir!"

Aragorn looked at him, bewildered, but before he could say anything, the leader backhanded him so violently that he lost his balance and landed hard on the ground, which was spinning. His temple felt like it had been set on fire, and his ears were ringing. He felt nauseous and dizzy.

He was yanked on his feet again before he had regained his senses: "You will apologize immediately", the leader growled, his foul breath making Aragorn even more nauseous.

"I did not...attack him", Aragorn panted, not willing to accept the false accusation. Everything fell silent.

"_Liar_!", the leader then roared and hit him again; this time, Aragorn was being held by two other Orcs, otherwise the impact would have send him back to the ground.

"I will deal with you tonight", the Orc growled very close to his face, "you may look forward to it!"

Then Aragorn´s hands were bound and tied to the rope anew, and they headed off.

--

Legolas gritted his teeth; he was on the brink of tears, and he did not think he could stand it any longer. Still, he would have to wait what that foul monster had in mind for his friend.

--

Aragorn merely stumbled along; his head was still spinning and ached fiercely, affecting his sight, and he felt more blood running down his cheek. He tried not to think about what the Orc had meant, but he felt fear welling up in him nevertheless. Orcs were known for their brutality and mercilessness, and he did not wish to experience what they were capable of.

Although the day was long and and they did not halt once, it seemed to be over much faster than he had expected. As his vision remained blurred and foggy, Aragorn could not look at the sun to determine the time of day, and he was rather surprised when they finally stopped. He had been walking in a kind of stupor, ignoring the Orcs´ occasional thumps and teasing.

--

Now his bonds were being taken off, and as before, two of the Orcs grasped his arms and held him between them.

The Orcs´ leader crossed his arms and looked at him: "Not so cheeky now, eh, _Ranger_?", he asked mockingly. Aragorn had a hard time focusing on him.

"I did not attack...him", he insisted nevertheless.

Legolas lay some feet away, but heard it clearly, and wished Aragorn had not said anything; it would only make it worse. His friend´s voice sounded strained enough already.

The Orc stared at his prisoner in disgust, then he turned to his men: "Did you hear that?", he asked. "He sticks to his lie! We will have to punish him for that!" And while the Orcs cheered at that, he nodded to the one holding Aragorn´s right arm; it was the one who had claimed to be attacked.

He grinned maliciously and jerked the arm towards him; Aragorn could feel how his shoulder was being dislocated and gritted his teeth. But the Orc did not stop at this; within seconds, he tightened his grip around the arm and broke it. Aragorn gasped audibly and paled, his knees sagging again.

The Orcs cheered even louder.

--

Legolas fought hard not to jump up; he knew it would do no good, but he could not stand hearing his best friend suffer. Very cautiously, he opened one eye, assuming that the Orcs´attention would be wholly on Aragorn, and he was right. Hastily, he started to move his wrists; it hurt, but he gritted his teeth. This might be the once chance they had talked about earlier, only how he could leave here while Aragorn was being mistreated like that, he did not know.

It did not take him long to slip first one slender wrist out of the loosened knot, then the other. He had just gotten to his feet, when he heard Aragorn moan, it sounded like he was trying to suppress screams of agony. Legolas´ heart pounded so painfully that he did not even notice the unpleasant sensation of the blood returning to his legs. Tears were streaming down his cheeks freely now, he could not hold them back.

He needed a weapon. Every Orc´s attention was on Aragorn, so Legolas dared to move silently; hastily, he searched the group´s gear and packs. But he did not find any weapons. Cursing, he looked around, and then he had an idea.

--

Aragorn´s breath came in ragged little gasps; the pain was too much, he could not help it. They had broken his arm in three places and kicked against his ribs repeatedly.

The Orcs´ leader regarded him with evident pleasure: "You might just have learned a lesson here", he gnarled, "but just to make sure, we will continue tomorrow..."

With that, laughing sardonically, he landed his fist in Aragorn´s stomach once more. Through the dense fog of pain and queasiness, Aragorn felt that he was being released and tossed on the ground, causing him to fall on his injured arm. It was enough to make him lose his consciousness.

--

**TBC**


	5. One Orc and his Scimitar

--

**Chapter 5: One Orc and his Scimitar  
**

--

When the man did not move anymore,the Orcs wound a rope around his throat and the broken arm, securing it by tying it to a high branch of the tree, but left his hands unbound. This way, every attempt to free himself would cause him further pain and threatened to strangle him as well. Satisfied with the evening´s event, most of the Orcs turned to set up camp and get some food then.

.

Legolas sat in a tree above Aragorn, his heart hurting, and waited for the right moment. He had made up his mind not to leave his friend behind, he just could not do it. One of the Orcs was still lingering about, testing if the knots were tight enough. He looked up when angry shouts reverberated through the approaching darkness. They informed Legolas that his disappearance had been discovered and distracted the Orc underneath him from Aragorn.

.

Legolas did not hesitate; he slipped off the branch and landed on top of the unsuspecting Orc, bringing him down with a resounding thud.

The elf grasped the Orc´s head in order to break its neck, but the Orc had recovered more quickly from the assault than expected, and had grabbed his scimitar. Legolas pulled the creature´s head back hard, so it was unable to aim, but it struck out viciously nevertheless. Pain seared through his leg, making him gasp, but with the pain new anger welled up in him, and with one swift motion, he snapped the Orc´s head. He went limp, and Legolas pushed him away in disgust. He took the scimitar, as he had no other weapon, and turned to Aragorn, who was oblivious to the commotion around him.

.

All of this had happened within seconds, but already Legolas could hear the other Orcs swarming about, and of course they would look for him here. They only had not seen him yet because it had become dark in the meantime.

Not heeding his freely bleeding leg, he cut the rope, then bent down and gently turned Aragorn around. With one swift motion, he lifted his friend up, determined to carry him all the way to safety if need be.

For a terrible, eternal moment though, it felt like his injured leg would give out. Shaking, Legolas took a deep breath but set off nevertheless; he could not afford to waste any time.

He could hear the Orcs as they were searching for him, cursing and shouting, and several times he thought he could feel their foul breath in his neck. He shivered at that prospect, but he was determined not to let his fear get the better of him, not now.

.

He walked on for several hours, trying to think of light, listening to the reassuring voices of the leaves rustling in the night´s breeze, and suppressing his worry for his friend, who had not woken once since they had taken off. Only when Legolas stumbled occasionally did Aragorn give a soft moan, otherwise he remained oblivious.

.

But then came the moment when Legolas felt that he could not go on anymore, as weariness, sorrow, thirst, hunger and most of all, his injury, became too much for him.

The sky had become lighter already, a soft twilight settled above the trees.

Legolas sank to his knees, somehow managed not to drop Aragorn, and spread out next to him. There he lay, feeling exhausted and drained all of a sudden. He desperately wanted to go to sleep, thirst and hunger as well as the constant alertness and fear of the previous days taking their toll, but he knew he should not, it would be too dangerous.

Still, he could not move, and his mind drifted off, seduced him to peace and quiet...

--

Aragorn slowly opened his eyes; glorious sunlight greeted him, making him squint due to the sudden brightness. He blinked; everything was blurred. For a moment, he did not know what had happened or where he was, but when he tried to move, pain shot through his body, and his head started to throb viciously.

Orcs. He remembered now, and his heart sank. They had been captured by Orcs. He slowly turned his head, to see if Legolas was next to him, and was relieved to discover that he was indeed. Despite the blur he looked at his friend, trying to assess how he fared. It took him a while to realize that something was different. His eyes were open! He seemed to be sleeping, and he looked unusually drawn.

If only they had not taken out their fury on him as well, Aragorn thought. But then he would not be sleeping with open eyes, would he?

Aragorn tried to shift to have a better look, but even the slightest movement caused agony, and he could not suppress a groan. He closed his eyes, concentrating hard on suppressing the pain, and half-awaiting one of the Orcs coming over and teasing him for it. But it remained silent. When he opened his eyes again, he saw that Legolas moved, and a few seconds later, the elf sat up.

"Oh no", he groaned, much to Aragorn´s astonishment, "I fell asleep. It is light..." Only then did he see that his friend was awake as well and watching him.

"Aragorn!", he said, relief evident in his voice. "How do you feel?"

"I have been better", Aragorn said, unaware that his voice was barely audible. "Why-"

"We escaped", Legolas said.

"We-..._how_?"

"I cannot explain it now, we have to go on. I did not want to sleep, I was just so tired..."

"Did you carry me?"

"Yes, of course. You were unconscious, after all."

Legolas got to his feet, winced and quickly sat down again. Meanwhile, Aragorn struggled to sit up. He head was spinning, but he stubbornly ignored the nausea and dizziness, as well as the pain. It made him sway slightly, but he tried not to heed it. Instead, he willed himself to concentrate on his friend. "What is wrong?", he asked Legolas with an effort and looked at his leg. The elf´s pants were torn and bloodied.

"One Orc and his scimitar", Legolas scowled.

"Let me see it", Aragorn said, and the elf did not object.

Aragorn gently removed the torn cloth around it; the cut reached from Legolas´thigh down over his knee and seemed to have bled profusely.

"You need to bind it", Aragorn said, "otherwise it might start to bleed again. Try not to bend the knee so as not to tear at the wound." He could not do it himself due to his useless right arm.

Looking at his firend, he tried to hide that he was quite worried because Legolas´face was utterly pale, betraying his true condition.

Legolas was already tearing at the hem of his shirt. "We have to move on", he said, while he was tying the makeshift bandage around the wound, "I fear they might come after us..."

Aragorn nodded and quickly stopped when his head protested. He could feel every single spot where he had been beaten. His arm seemed maimed, his shoulder dislocated. There was nothing he could do about it now, though, but it worried him: it was his sword-arm, what if he would not be able to use it again? The expression of blood-lust on the ugly Orc´s face... he shuddered.

Legolas got up again and cautiously tested his leg.

.

"I can walk", Aragorn protested when the elf made to lift him up again. "You should not put unnecessary weight on your leg."

With Legolas´ help he got to his feet, swaying and waiting for the world to stop spinning.

"Are you sure you can walk?", Legolas asked, who had seen how his friend had paled and looked slightly green now.

"Yes", Aragorn said in what he thought to be a reassuring tone, trying to steady his breath as the pain throbbed through him.

"Let me...support you", he added, looking at the elf´s leg. But Legolas shook his head: "Your shoulder would not appreciate it", he said.

"How...how did you know that?"

"I have eyes."

"Oh... well..." Aragorn replied meekly.

Legolas just smiled.

.

They walked as fast as they could; Legolas determined the direction. From time to time they stopped and listened. Once the elf thought he could hear something, but he was not sure.

They found a small stream and drank thirstily. The air was crisp, but they were sweating from the sheer labour of setting one feet in front of the other, and their dried out throats were parched.

.

Aragorn did his best to support Legolas, who at one point could not hide the pain in his leg any longer and had started to limp heavily.

The elf did not like to admit it, but his strength was deteriorating despite the few hours of sleep; the ordeal that his body and mind had been put through recently started to show, and the blood loss had worsened it. The wound was throbbing and felt like it was on fire; he was quite glad that Aragorn was there to steady him and keep his mind occupied.

The ranger was swaying though, as dizziness and nausea were back and increasing eventually, affecting his remaining sense of balance. His shoulder ached as fiercely as his head when touched, but Legolas was careful not to put any weight on it.

Leaning against each other like drunkards on their way home, they struggled to get forward, away from their captors and probable pursuers.

--

**TBC**

--


	6. Unexpected Once More

--

**Chapter 6: Unexpected Once More**

--

"H-how are you?", Legolas panted after a while.

"Could be... worse", Aragorn replied. "Do you...want me to carry you?"

"Ha...ha...", the elf feigned a laugh, "if at all, I should...carry you, my friend... you walk like... an old man..."

"Speaking of...old... _you_ should be... talking..."

"I... I... will show you..."

Bickering like that, they slowly but steadily made progress, trying not to think of anything else than staying on their feet and keeping the other one upright, or what came closest to that.

.

"What if...they hear us?", Legolas asked after a while.

"They...would hear us anyway...stomping through the bush...as we are", Aragorn replied. "And...they can easily...track us... but...I...I... cannot think about that...now..."

Legolas understood what he meant, even if it did not really make sense.

The very idea of being recaptured was too horrible.

Even as he knew that it was not very likely for them to escape, he desperately wanted to believe that they were safe.

They had managed to flee, at last, did that not count for anything?

"_You_...stomp", he therefore panted, keeping up the distracting dialogue they both needed so badly, even though every word was laborious, "_I _glide...graciously..."

"_Ha_...", Aragorn now said, "You...you wish..."

Legolas sighed: "I wish... I wish Alba... was here..."

.

He did not notice that Aragorn was suddenly gaping:"How did you...how did you do that?" he panted.

"Do what?", Legolas asked.

But then he looked up- and saw Alba. She was coming towards them, Ragnar following behind her.

When the horses had reached them, Aragorn marvelled at the white mare once more: "You...followed us...", he stated and felt relief flooding through him.

Ragnar neighed softly and knelt down, but Alba remained standing.

"She...you...", Aragorn struggled to get some sense into what he thought the horse was thinking. "We should...both ride on...him...", he finally managed to get out. "Otherwise you...you might fall."

"I would never...fall", snorted Legolas indignantly, but pulled his friend towards the stallion nevertheless.

Aragorn helped him to mount, causing Legolas to grimace because of his leg. When they were both seated, Ragnar got up, nearly causing the two to lose their balance.

.

"Stop... shifting about...", Aragorn said.

"Easy to say...", Legolas replied. "My leg...is so stiff... I am sitting...all weird."

"I...I will not...let go", Aragorn reassured him, and with his good arm tightened his grip around Legolas´ slender midriff.

"Good ...good..."

Meanwhile, Alba had taken the lead again.

--

The rocking motion, as smooth as Ragnar´s gait was, ungently reminded the elf and the Ranger of what they had been through, but on the other hand, it kept them awake, preventing them from falling down off the horse´s back.

.

"Where...are we going?", Legolas asked after a while.

"I have no...no idea", Aragorn said. "_Your_ horse...master elf..."

"Ah...well...she is wise...she will...find..."

"Find...what...?"

"Find...find...find somewhere..." Legolas said vaguely, waving the question off with one hand.

.

--

Despite their efforts, they eventually fell silent; Legolas felt curiously light-headed due to the blood loss, and Aragorn felt as if his head was under water while being stomped on at the same time. His sight was still blurred, and it was a relief to close his eyes; he did not even feel that he was sitting on a horse anymore.

The hours were passing by in a haze of changing light.

.

At some point Legolas noticed that Aragorn´s grip had loosened considerably.

"Aragorn", he said, his own voice sounding as if far away, "are you alright?"

"Am... fine", the Ranger murmured.

Legolas stopped Ragnar: "No, you are...not", he replied. As if on cue, the horse knelt down again.

The elf felt his friend slip off the horse´s back and heard him retch. He struggled to get off as quickly as his leg allowed and had to fight off a sudden assault of queasiness.

When he turned to help Aragorn, the Ranger had already lain down and closed his eyes.

"Legolas", he murmured, "I cannot...go on."

The elf could see that this was true, that Aragorn´s strength was spent, but he refused to believe it: "Yes...you can", he begged, "you have to!"

Aragorn smiled faintly, but he was too tired to open his eyes. He felt very ill.

"You...have the kindest heart...Legolas", he whispered. "But...I have to...have to stop here..."

Legolas shook his head in despair: "You must not...give up like this...", he pleaded, "we have...come so far...and it will be...getting dark soon..."

"I...am sorry...cannot...head hurts so..."

Wearily, Legolas eased himself down on the grass next to him, taking his friend´s hand: "You will...be alright", he whispered. "I will not... leave you alone..."

Aragorn did not answer anymore.

.

Legolas closed his eyes; he had lost any sense of direction, but evidently they were far from safe.

Ragnar neighed softly, waiting for them to remount, and Alba started to nuzzle the elf´s face.

Legolas looked up at her: "I know...", he murmured, "you want us... to hurry. I-"

He fell silent abruptly, because the horses had suddenly stopped moving about and stood as still as statues, their ears straight.

.

Horror crept up Legolas´ spine before he heard it as well: the Orcs were approaching.

He could hear movement in the undergrowth, and it sounded like they were quite close already.

Legolas gasped, then he struggled to his feet, grasped Aragorn´s uninjured shoulder and his belt and started to pull him back towards Ragnar.

Aragorn did not react and was unable to help, but Legolas somehow managed to get him on the horse, fear and anger triggering his last reserve of energy.

He mounted behind Aragorn, grimacing at the pain in his leg, and Ragnar got up at once.

"Run, Ragnar!", Legolas urged the horse, which did not hesitate but swiftly followed Alba.

.

With one arm, Legolas held Aragorn, with the other he had seized a handful of mane and was holding on to it.

The horses were galopping as fast as possible, having reached the edge of the forest by now, and were dashing along a river, which the elf hoped to be the Bruinen. If it was, it could not be far to Rivendell anymore.

.

They crossed the river at a shallow spot.

As soon as they had reached the other side, Alba sped up and was soon out of sight.

This sparked new hope in Legolas, as it might mean that they were close to safety, or at least close to help.

.

--

Lord Elrond of Imladris was walking through the gardens with his chief counsellor.

The air was crisp and clear, and on such a fine autumnal morning they liked to talk about matters outside rather than in Elrond´s study.

.

"...see the necessity in that", Erestor was saying, when they heard someone calling out Elrond´s name.

It was Tiriel, the head of Rivendell´s guard, and he looked distressed:

"My lord", he said, approaching in fast strides, "A riderless horse has just arrived."

Elrond and Erestor looked at each other, frowning.

"A riderless horse?", Elrond repeated and set off towards the courtyard at once, not waiting for Tiriel´s answer.

Erestor and Tiriel were following at his heels.

.

It was a white mare, and Elrond recognized her quickly: "Alba", he said quietly and reached out for her.

She came nearer and allowed him stroke her. He could sense her distress.

"She is Prince Legolas´ horse", Elrond said with a sinking feeling. "Something is wrong. She has run through the night."

.

--

Legolas found it hard to keep his eyes open, a sensation that he had rarely experienced in his life.

He felt drained and wearier than ever before. His leg hurt, and his head seemed to be wrapped in tissue, for everything seemed hushed.

.

As cautiously as Ragnar was walking, having slowed down again, he could not prevent the inevitable.

Legolas felt his grip on consciousness and his grip on Aragorn weaken simultaneously, but was helpless.

He simply slid off the horse´s back, blood loss and exhaustion having finally caught up with him.

He barely noticed hitting the ground anymore and was oblivious that Aragorn landed next to him when Ragnar stopped.

.

The horse nuzzled their faces, trying to wake them up, but to no avail: neither of the friends responded.

Their flight was over.

--

**TBC**

--

.

Author´s note: Okay, so my favourite elf and beloved Ranger are not out of the woods yet, literally speaking. Sorry for the cliffie, but it had to be done s_o I could feel all mighty and powerful_ er, I mean, to keep us the suspense of course...(clears throat). Hope you enjoyed it!


	7. Most Likely

--

**Chapter 7: Most Likely **

--

Elrond, Tiriel and several members of the guard were following the white mare.

The elf-lord had immediately understood that she wanted them to follow her, and they had made ready as fast as possible while Alba was pacing up and down the courtyard as if urging them to hurry up.

Elrond found it hard to concentrate, as his mind was racing: he knew that Legolas and Estel had intended to meet and then come to Imladris together.

What could have happened that the prince´s horse had taken on running all the way here to get help?

.

Alba was leading them on at full speed now, and the other horses, although they were bearing riders, followed her without difficulty because they were rested whereas she was not.

In the afternoon, Alba slowed down.

At first Elrond thought that exhaustion had finally caught up with her, but then he could see her muscles tense.

The elf listened intensely and thought he could hear something in the distance, but it was drowned by the sound of approaching hooves.

Automatically, Elrond reached for his bow but let his hand sink again when Alba remained calm, her ears playing back and forth: it was Ragnar who now appeared between the trees.

He had been running fast and abruptly came to a halt in front of them, but seemed frightened. He was whinnying desperately and, stamping his hooves, turned around immediately as if to run back.

Alba followed him at once, and the elves quickly went after them.

.

While Elrond urged on his horse, he concentrated on the noise he had thought to hear, and right there it was, beyond the horses´ hoofbeat, but he could not make out what exactly it was yet.

A feeling of dread was spreading in his mind now, but only when they had nearly reached the place where Ragnar was leading them was he able to discern what the sound was: it was caused by a group of Orcs, who were cheering at something and obviously had not heard the advancing riders yet.

.

They would have to attack without any delay and take the Orcs by surprise; Elrond did not have another choice, as Alba and Ragnar were unstoppable and therefore bound to be detected.

--

All the way , the elf-lord had feared that they might be too late, but if the Orcs were cheering, it might mean that Legolas and Estel were still alive...

He had no doubt that whatever caused the foul creatures such glee had to do something with his son and his best friend, otherwise Ragnar would not have acted thus.

.

He pushed that thought aside and reached for his bow again.

The other elves imitated him, as they had heard the Orcs as well.

"Take them down as soon as they come into our range of fire", Elrond shouted in Sindarin.

.

--

The Orc´s leader had indeed been beyond glee when they had found their two former prisoners unconscious and unable to escape.

He paid no heed to the tracks of hoofprints on the ground, too big was his triumph.

"Look at them!", he had roared maliciously, "look at the scum that really thought it could escape us..."

Legolas and Aragorn had been roughly pulled up, but none of them had responded to the Orcs´ attempts to wake them, which had included violent shaking and kicking.

.

The leader sharply prodded Legolas in the chest now: "You have been acting like this before", he gnarled. "I still have to teach you a lesson about that, see if you _wake up_ this time..."

The Orcs cheered while Legolas was being hoisted up and tied to a tree with his arms above his head, so that his full body-weight was concentrated on his wrists.

The leader was just putting his dagger to the tender flesh of Legolas´stomach, when he heard something, causing him to lift his head and listen: "Horses!", he cried. "Someone is coming..."

Before they could react, even more horses could be heard, and then a volley of arrows struck the group, causing several Orcs to shriek and collapse.

Confusion spread among them until they saw the charging elven riders.

.

The Orc´s leader bellowed orders, and soon they had started to fire back and attack the horses with their scimitars, but the elves were too quick for them.

.

The attackers had only made one mistake: they had not taken down the leader first.

It was him who now pressed his long, sharp dagger to Legolas´ throat, baring his ugly teeth: "One more shot and he will die", he growled, after the elves had stopped moving due to this threat.

.

Cold rage swept over Elrond´s features, he was nearly growling as well: "Let. Go. Of. Him!", he said menacingly, his bow still poised and ready to shoot.

.

Although he was concerned for Legolas, he could not prevent himself from looking at Aragorn quickly, because the man lay unmoving where the Orcs had dropped him once the attack had begun, and the elf-lord could not make out if he was still breathing.

The Orc had seen this, and a new malice glinted in his eyes as he slowly let go of Legolas. With one quick step he was at Aragorn´s side and extended his dagger with two fingers, so that it was dangling above the unconscious Ranger.

If he let go, it would burrow itself into Aragorn´s chest.

The Orc laughed mockingly: "What are you going to do now, elf?", he hissed. "Shoot me and he is dead..."

.

Elrond stared at him, torn between emotion and calculation: he knew he could shoot the Orc with enough force to hurl the creature backwards, so the dagger would most likely not fall straight down.

But on the other hand, he could not be sure of that.

--

**TBC**

--


	8. Not Over Yet

Enjoy!

--

**Chapter 8: Not Over Yet**

--

The Orc scoffed at the elf, but Elrond had now made up his mind: he was determined to save his son, and there was only one way to do it.

.

Too quick for the Orc´s eyes to follow, and to the creature´s utter dismay and surprise, Elrond lowered his bow ever so slightly, aimed at the dagger and released the arrow.

The weapon was jerked out the Orc´s hand, and only seconds later, a second and third arrow struck the foul being´s chest, catapulting it away from its prisoner indeed. With a faint grunt, it sank to the ground.

.

For a moment, nobody moved.

.

The remaining Orcs however seemed to realize that the fight was not over yet, and as if coming out of a trance, started to move simultaneously now, attacking their attackers.

But it was only a short struggle, as the elves seemed to have gained new determination after having seen their lord act so boldly.

Soon, the whole group had been taken down.

.

Elrond hurried to get to Legolas first; together with Tiriel, he cautiously cut the ropes and eased him down on the grass.

He had come to and looked at Elrond with glassy eyes, struggling to say something: "Good...shot..." he whispered with a raspy voice. While the elf-lord smiled and motioned for the others to get him a waterskin, Legolas´ eyes suddenly widened: "Aragorn..."

Elrond tried to calm him: "I will see to him. Do not worry, my dear..."

Legolas started to say something but was distracted by his horse, who had come over and now nuzzled him gently.

"Alba", he breathed, barely audible. "I knew... you would find..."

Exhaustion kept him from finishing the sentence, and he closed his eyes. Elrond watched him and subdued a worried sigh as he beheld Legolas´ weary and pained face, not wanting him to hear it.

When a third elf knelt down next to them, he left the prince in his and Tiriel´s care and went over to his son.

.

Aragorn looked as awful as his friend; he was pallid, and pain was evident in his features as well. Elrond noticed his clammy skin and the heat of fever that radiated from him and silently cursed the Orcs.

They would have to make for Rivendell with haste; fortunately, none of the elves or horses had been wounded gravely in the battle.

Elrond bandaged Legolas´ leg to prevent it from bleeding any further, then he provided Aragorn´s arm with makeshift splints for the ride home.

When he had done so, they set off.

.

--

The Last Homely House was silent, the steady rush of the waterfalls in the valley being the only sound.

.

Elrond was sitting with his foster son, who was still unconscious.

The elf-lord had been shocked to see the cruelty of Aragorn´s injuries, especially considering his arm. It would take long to recover, and Elrond hoped that it would mend well enough so as to be used properly again.

He looked down on the pale face: dark shadows lay underneath Aragorn´s eyes, and he looked outright exhausted. Elrond wondered why this had had to happen, which ill-cursed fate had brought this upon them.

.

Aragorn suddenly drew a shuddering breath and moved his head slightly, but did not wake.

Elrond squeezed his uninjured hand to calm him; the man was obviously caught in fever-induced dreams, and from time to time he started to move restlessly, as if trying to get away from something.

After he had tended his many injuries, Elrond had grasped the man´s hand and had sat for a long time just thanking the Valar that they had come in time, that his son and his friend had survived.

He knew though that the worst might not yet be over; neither Legolas nor Aragorn had regained consciousness once since they had arrived at Rivendell the previous day.

Slowly, Elrond reached out and stroked Aragorn´s cheek.

The Ranger was lying flat on his back, only a thin pillow supported his head.

He seemed to have received several hard blows to his temple, and the elf-lord was quite worried about that.

Aragorn would be fortunate if it turned out to be only a severe concussion, but before he did not wake, Elrond would not be able to tell.

With a heavy heart the elf renewed the cold cloth on Aragorn´s forehead; he had done all he could, now he would have to wait.

.

--

It had started to turn dark outside when Erestor entered.

As he approached the bed, his face turned grave. "How fares Estel?", did he ask quietly.

"He is still unconscious", Elrond replied. "I fear that the head injuries are more serious than it looks."

Erestor´s eyes were so full of sympathy and sorrow that Elrond unexpectedly found himself keeping on talking, relieved to be able to share what ailed him: "He is so thin, Erestor", he said.

"He is thinner than I have ever witnessed in a human, leaving his body weakened and dehydrated, and the fever devours whatever strength he has left."

When he had applied a salve on Aragorn´s badly bruised stomach and belly earlier, he had been terribly appalled by the man´s skinniness.

Erestor laid a comforting hand on Elrond´s shoulder: "He has always been stronger than he looked, though", he said. "I have no doubt that he will be fine."

Elrond nodded, grateful for Erestor´s well-meant words.

.

"I have been asked to tell you that Prince Legolas has woken up", Erestor continued. "And your apprentice would like you to have a look yourself."

Elrond would have gone anyway; he was relieved to hear that Legolas had woken, and wished to talk to him, but was reluctant to leave his son alone.

"I will stay with Estel", Erestor offered, which his lord accepted gladly.

.

--

When he entered Legolas´ room, Elrond feared that the younger elf might have drifted off to sleep yet again, but upon hearing the elf-lord´s footsteps, the prince´s eyes fluttered open.

Elrond´s apprentice Findiel bowed respectfully: "My lord", he said, "The prince has woken up, but he seems strangely dazed, and I fear I do not know what to think of it."

"It is alright, Findiel", Elrond said and sat down on the bed.

.

He gently took Legolas´ hand with his left and laid his right one on Legolas´ cheek to guide his gaze so they would look at each other.

Legolas´eyes indeed were glazed over, and Elrond was not sure if he had been recognized.

"Legolas", he said calmly. "Can you hear me?"

"Hear you...", Legolas echoed in confirmation. His voice was very feeble.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Think so..."

"Can you tell me who I am then?"

"Elrond..."

.

Elrond breathed deeply, feeling relief wash over him.

"Yes, it is I", he said affectionately and squeezed the younger elf´s hand. " How do you feel, Legolas?"

"Woozy."

Elrond raised on eyebrow in involuntary amusement, "woozy" certainly not belonging to his usual vocabulary.

"Are you in pain?"

"No..."

"Alright, then", Elrond said, as Legolas´s lids were drooping already, "rest now, my dear..."

.

He longed to ask the prince what exactly had happened, but due to his weakened condition, it was out of question for the time being, and Elrond would have to comply, wether he liked it or not.

.

Findiel had watched anxiously, as he was afraid that he might have overlooked something.

Elrond tried to reassure him now: "He suffers from the blood loss", he said, "that and the whole ordeal he has been through. I reckon they let him starve and dehydrate as well, though the effect seems stronger on him than on Estel, which strikes me as strange, considering that Estel is human...

Anyway, make sure he drinks water and broth in regular intervals, and please do come and get me if he wakes up again."

.

Findiel nodded, somewhat relieved that he had done nothing wrong.

Elrond cast one last look on Legolas and turned to go.

Apparently, he had been right: the worst seemed not to be over yet.

--

**TBC**

--

--

Firefly-Maj (wildly): _Okay, here´s the next chapter, now where are my reviews? #pouts#_

Aragorn: Oh, come on, don´t be like that!

Firefly-Maj: _They_ started it!

Aragorn (reasonably): Actually, they didn´t...

Firefly-Maj: You´re just worried that I´ll stop writing and leave you lying there forever...

Aragorn (smugly): No, I´m not, because I know you´ve nearly finished the next chapter already...

Firefly-Maj: _Phhh_... mumbles something about rewriting

Aragorn (whispers): Tell you what- you can take it out on Legolas if you stop pouting now.

Firefly-Maj (brightens up): Excellent!

Legolas: _I heard that_...

--

The next chapter will probably be up as soon as this one, because as some of you know by now, I hate having to wait myself... hope you enjoyed this one! Maj ;)


	9. Attempt To Escape Part Two

--

**Chapter 9: Attempt To Escape Part Two  
**

--

Elrond woke up because something was not right.

It took him an unusual long time to find out what it was: he had been sleeping in a chair and managed to twist his neck in an awkward position.

Feeling unpleasantly stiff, he rubbed the spot with his hand and sat up.

.

Early morning light filled the room, and despite his weariness, Elrond could not but marvel at its beauty.

He slowly got up to check on Estel, who lay exactly as before.

The elf intuitively reached out and stroked the Ranger´s hand.

He was about to turn away from the bed when he caught a movement in the corner of his eye: Estel was slowing flexing his fingers, responding to his father´s light

touch.

.

Quickly, Elrond sat down with him, his stiff neck all but forgotten: "Estel", he said, his voice quiet but demanding.

He took his son´s hand and squeezed it gently.

After a few seconds, he felt a faint reply, encouraging him to adress the man yet again: "Come to me, Estel. Leave the darkness..."

Aragorn moaned softly, but after a little while his eyes opened.

.

Elrond was so relieved that he felt hot tears well up in his eyes. He squeezed Aragorn´s hand again, allowing him to take in his surroundings without haste.

The Ranger´s eyes were glassy from the fever, which had barely decreased despite Elrond´s ministrations, and it took him a while to focus, but then he turned his

head slightly and looked at his foster father.

Elrond saw him wince at the movement, but the elf had wholeheartedly longed for this moment all the time he had spent sitting with the sick man, so he rejoiced

nevertheless.

"There you are", he said fondly, and smiled. Only then did Aragorn recognize him, and his eyes widened when he grasped the full meaning of this.

"You are safe now", Elrond said, having read his son´s mind. "You are at home."

.

--

Aragorn had no memory of how he had gotten to Imladris; for a while, he actually did not quite know what exactly had happened or which year it was, to start with.

He racked his brain, but all he could come up with was that it had something to do with Orcs, and that he felt terribly weary now, stifled by an unpleasant heat, and did not mind to lie in bed for a change.

He drifted in and out of sleep, sometimes startled by the cold when Elrond renewed the cloth, and lost track of time again.

Every time he woke up, his father or sometimes Erestor were there, and both of them constantly seemed to want something from him, forcing him to swallow water,

broth and a bit of bread, or ugly-smelling brews they claimed to be good for him.

.

Once both of them were there, Erestor helping Elrond to change Aragorn´s nightshirt and bedding and wash the fine film of sweat off his body, as he had been

sweating strongly in his fever.

Aragorn feebly leaned against his father´s chest and once more wondered why he was sick while Erestor gently guided his thoroughly bandaged and splinted arm

through the fresh shirt´s sleeve, but then the thought escaped him.

It felt good to be held in those strong, familiar arms, and contentedly, he drifted back off to sleep.

.

--

On the third day, the fever finally started to subside.

Elrond sighed in relief as Aragorn´s sleep deepened.

The past few days had been a strain; he had alternately been caring for Aragorn and Legolas.

Fortunately, Erestor had offered to help, which Elrond had gratefully accepted.

He could of course have asked someone else from his household, but felt reluctant to do so, if only because whenever Estel had been ill, Elrond or the twins had

taken care of him, and Erestor had known him well since his childhood.

.

And Estel, as much as Elrond detested it, was no child anymore.

He deserved to be treated like an adult, which he was, but in the elves´ eyes he would forever remain but a mere child.

Elrond understood this and wished to spare him the embarassment of being tended by someone not as close to him.

The same held true for Legolas.

.

Elrond sighed when he thought of the prince; oddly enough, his condition had not improved much yet.

He was healing only slowly, still being unusually dazed every time he woke up, and he slept with his eyes closed.

The elf-lord blamed it on the blood loss, which had happened when Legolas had most likely been severely exhausted already.

Aragorn had told his father everything he remembered, and Elrond did not have another explanation.

The "few blows to the head" that that dreadful Orc had mentioned to Aragorn could not have caused any grave damage, or else Legolas would have visibly suffered

from their consequences already.

So Elrond concentrated on restoring Legolas´ strength, determined to bring him back to good health as soon as possible.

.

--

Aragorn stared at the wall for some time before he realized that he was awake; the transition from dreaming to being awake had been too smooth.

He knew that his father was drugging him to keep the pain at bay, letting him float through warm and shallow dreams.

Although he disliked the idea, he was grateful enough, because even now his arm and shoulder hurt a little bit, not dramatically and only just to be a tiny presence in

the background of his mind, but it gave him an idea of how bad it actually would be without any painkillers, and he had not forgotten the agony he had been in.

His memory had come back completely once the fever had gone, and ever since had he tried to persuade Elrond to let him go and see Legolas.

He was worried about him, especially as Elrond and Erestor remained strangely vague whenever he demanded to know how his friend fared.

But of course, Elrond had not permitted Aragorn to get up: "Your head must not be aggravated", he repeated sternly every time that his son started to argue. "And

apart from that, you have told me that your vision is still blurry due to the concussion, so I do not quite see why you insist that you are well!"

.

--

Cautiously, Aragorn looked around and found himself to be alone.

He decided that did not want to wait any longer, he had to see how Legolas was doing.

So he sat up slowly.

His head started to throb, but it was bearable.

Once he had swung his legs out of bed, the throbbing increased a little and joined forces with a slight additional spin of his already blurred vision, but it was nothing

he would not be able to manage.

Swaying, he came to his feet; his legs were not up to supporting him though, so he fell back down on the bed.

.

For a moment, he just sat there, cursed the Orcs and his weakness and waited for the room to slow down and his sight to return.

Once it did, he stubbornly tried again.

Although he had a hard time to find his balance with only one arm to count on, he managed to stand and totter towards the door like a newborn foal.

Once he had reached it, he leaned against the wall and breathed in deeply to fight off the nausea which assailed him now.

Shaking, he reached for the door, but he had not even touched it yet when it opened, and he found himself face to face with Erestor.

.

Elrond´s counsellor comprehended at once, stepped inside swiftly and shut the door behind him.

Then, he crossed his arms and looked at Aragorn reproachfully: "What are we to do with you?", he chided.

Instead of an answer, Aragorn groaned as he felt his knees buckle, and had it not been for Erestor, who quickly reached out and supported him, he would have

collapsed.

Erestor helped the Ranger back to bed and tucked him in: "It is for a reason that you are not allowed out of bed, you know", he said, but could not hide his worry.

"Yes. It is not worth the trouble, I can see that now", Aragorn murmured with his eyes closed, trying to regain his senses.

"And if it had not been me but your father just now, you would be in even more trouble", Erestor firmly pointed out.

Aragorn opened one eye: "You are not going to tell him?", he asked.

Erestor shook his head: "I will not tell him if you _promise_ me to stay put!"

Aragorn knew that he was defeated, and it did not feel good.

.

"I have to see Legolas", he pleaded nevertheless.

Erestor, who heard the gravity behind the rather childish insistence, sat down on the bed: "Why can it not wait?", he asked sympathetically.

Aragorn looked at him, pain evident in his eyes: "Because I know that you and my father are hiding something from me, and I have to know how he fares", he said in

a small voice. "I worry for him, Erestor. He saved my life. He would not tell me how he managed to free us, but we escaped. And if it had not been for Legolas, I

would not be here now. He did not leave me there but carried me a long way, even though his leg was hurt..."

He fell silent, looking stricken.

.

Erestor smiled sadly: "We are not so much hiding something from you as not telling, which is a difference", he said. "Legolas is recovering only slowly.

Lord Elrond is quite worried about it and knows that you would be as well."

Aragorn stared at him: "What do you mean, _recovering only slowly_? He is on the mend, is he not?"

Erestor half-shrugged, half-shook his head, looking quite uncomfortable: "His wounds are healing, but he is still very weak , and he is recovering at an unusual slow

rate for an elf, I should say-"

He interrupted himself when he saw Aragorn pale visibly: "Do not worry", Erestor therefore added quickly, regretting that he had given away too much, "your father

does everything in his power to help him."

.

Aragorn knew not what to say. It frightened him to know his friend was suffering, and he wished he could do something as well.

He closed his eyes, feeling very tired all of a sudden: if it had not been for him, Legolas probably would not have been injured like that and forced to walk, carrying

additional weight and ignoring the bleeding.

He knew he should not hold himself responsible, but he could not rid himself of feeling guilty nevertheless.

.

--

Despite his misery, Aragorn eventually fell asleep.

Erestor stayed with him long after the man´s breathing had evened out, watching over him and reprimanding himself for telling Aragorn about Legolas.

--

**TBC**

--


	10. The Love of a Friend

--

**Chapter 10: The Love of a Friend**

--

When Aragorn awoke at dead of night, Erestor had gone.

He did not know what had disturbed his sleep, but was wide awake now.

After unsuccessfully trying to divert himself for some time, he gave up the attempt to not think of Legolas and sat up once more.

His head reacted as badly as before, but he gritted his teeth and proceeded to get out of bed.

Knowing full well that neither his father nor Erestor would approve of this, he slowly made his way to the door and out of his room.

--

Fortunately, Legolas´ quarters were not far from his own, but by the time he had gotten there, he felt like he had run for ten days straight while being jumped on continuously.

With an effort, he opened the door and staggered into the room.

.

Only a few candles were lit, and he found Findiel to be fast asleep in a chair next to the bed.

Utterly relieved to get off his feet, Aragorn unceremoniously slumped on the edge of the bed.

Once he had been able to subdue his body´s harsh protests of being treated like this, he concentrated on his friend.

For a moment, he sat motionless and just took in what he saw.

.

Legolas´ fair face was utterly pale, the skin looking nearly translucent. His eyes were closed, leaving him unusually lifeless.

The slightly amused look he normally wore had been replaced by a strained one, and Aragorn wholeheartedly wished he could help him.

His uninjured hand reached out and stroked the elf´s cheek, then it slowly wandered up to Legolas´ forehead, where it remained.

.

Aragorn pushed aside the nausea and sadness and concentrated on something different: in his mind, he conjured up images of summer, smells of flowers, and how it felt to lay his hands on the rough bark of a tree.

He tried to summon up things that he knew Legolas loved, including Alba. He could see the white mare, and he could feel the warmth of the sun on his skin...

.

He did not know for how long he had been sitting like this, but at one point, he felt himself sway and found he could not remain in that position any longer.

Shaking, he eased himself down on the bed next to Legolas.

--

When Findiel awoke with the first light of the morning, he was surprised to find Elrond´s foster son snuggled up with his patient.

Guiltily, because he had fallen asleep, he took a spare blanket and spread it out over Aragorn. The air was quite chilly now that autumn was about to arrive, and Aragorn only wore a nightshirt, after all.

The man did not respond to this, as he was thoroughly exhausted from his nocturnal endeavours and therefore fast asleep.

--

Two hours later, Elrond entered, nearly bursting in: "Findiel! Have you seen-" His gaze fell on the bed, and he broke off.

"When did Estel come here?", he asked then.

"It must have been sometime in the night, my lord. I- I had fallen asleep...", Findiel said nervously.

Elrond looked at him for a while, then nodded: "I am sorry, Findiel. You have barely had any break since we have come back, I should have relieved you..."

.

Relief displayed on Findiel´s face for not being told off. Elrond sent him to go and rest instead, and he gladly left.

Elrond turned to the bed again: "_How_ did he get here in the first place?", he murmured. "Never ceases to astound me..."

--

It was not until another two hours had passed that Aragorn awoke. He did not immediately realize where he was and turned his head to find out, wincing at the movement and cursing quietly. He really hated being ill.

Unaware of Elrond´s presence, he then slowly turned to Legolas and assessed him. His face was still very pale, but to Aragorn it did not seem so lifeless anymore.

A small, hopeful smile appeared on the man´s face, and he extended his hand to touch the elf. Very gently, his fingers brushed over Legolas´ cheeks and and came to rest on his collarbone.

.

Elrond could not but watch this, deeply moved by Aragorn´s concern and affection for his best friend.

.

Legolas had been straying through dark realms for a quite some time now. He longed to return to light and warmth, but he did not feel strong enough to do so, he was ever so tired.

He could faintly remember that he had indeed opened his eyes a few times and someone had talked to him, but he had not been able to take in the light or the air, as his senses seemed dull and unreliable.

So he had not been able to concentrate on anything else except the voice in front of him.

Apart from that, he knew that someone was with him all the time, but he could hardly feel that person´s presence, and it therefore mattered not to him.

But something had changed now; the darkness had started to lift.

He felt as if someone had reached out to him, had given him new hope and had reminded him of the light, encouraged him to be strong...

--

Slowly, he opened his eyes. He blinked several times because it was so strange to have slept with his eyes closed, then he tried to focus to have a look around.

He turned his head and found his best friend lying next to him; Aragorn´s grey eyes rested on him, smiling warmly.

Legolas´ own eyes, though still a bit glazed over, lit up, and he returned the smile.

"You did not leave me alone", Aragorn whispered, and his hand crept up to Legolas´ face again.

The elf´s voice was barely audible: "Could not...", he replied, his eyes never leaving Aragorn´s. "You are...too dear to me...

Stubborn as you are...I can be even worse."

.

Aragorn chuckled lightly: "Rest now", he then said. "I will stay with you until my father comes to berate me because I snuck out of bed."

Legolas felt around until he had found his friend´s hand, which he took and kept in his own. "Good. Stay...", he murmured, drifting off to sleep again, his eyes remaining open this time.

.

Elrond approached the bed: "I am not going to berate you", he said quietly.

When Aragorn looked up at him in surprise, his father smiled benignly: "I should have known that nothing would keep you from looking after him", he said. "And it seems good that you came here. You may as well stay, if you promise not to get up and about frequently. Your head surely does not approve of it."

"No, it does not", Aragorn reluctantly agreed. "Have you been here all the time?"

Elrond nodded: "Yes, I have. I did not intend to eavesdrop, though. For that I apologize."

Aragorn smiled faintly: "You do not have to, it is alright. You know how much I love Legolas..."

Elrond laughed: "I do. You and him have been inseparable ever since you have met for the first time. I think Elladan and Elrohir have had reason to be jealous quite often."

"Maybe, but then they have always been twosome, and I was fortunate to get an ally whenever Legolas visited. Together, we were strong..."

At this, Aragorn felt a slight squeeze on his hand.

--

Aragorn stayed with Legolas, who fell asleep soon.

.

The elf was still far from being well, but when he awoke next, Elrond noticed that his eyes were a bit clearer, and therefore was confident that he was on the mend at last.

He was about to help Legolas drink some broth when suddenly the door flew open, and in burst Erestor in an imitation of Elrond´s earlier entrance: "My lord! I- Estel-"

He stopped when he saw Aragorn, who was asleep in the bed next to Legolas, gaped for a few seconds, then crossed his arms: "I should not have said anything", he said quite disgruntled.

Elrond looked at him enquiringly: "About what?"

Erestor uneasily shifted his weight: "Well... he wanted to come here yesterday and had already gotten up, but I caught him and sent him back to bed.

I said I would not tell...er...you, my lord, about it, if he promised to stay put..." He looked slightly embarassed now.

Elrond however seemed to have heard only the first part of the sentence: "Estel had already gotten up and you _caught_ him?" he repeated incredulously, seeing Erestor chasing after Aragorn in front of his inner eye.

Erestor sighed indignantly: "He nearly collapsed", he pointed out. "He desperately wanted to see what we were _hiding_ from him, so I told him."

.

Legolas looked from one to the other: "Told him what?", he asked.

Erestor looked at thim as if noticing that he was awake and obviously a little better for the first time.

He exchanged a glance with Elrond, who nodded.

"Told him how worried Lord Elrond was about you", Erestor thus continued. "So Estel cast aside his own condition and somehow managed to come here..."

.

At this, Legolas looked slightly alarmed: "Why... what do you mean by _condition_?", he demanded, even if his voice was very weak.

"He has a serious concussion", Elrond said calmly: "Thus he should not get up at all. As he is perfectly aware of!", he added.

Legolas looked at Aragorn: "Stubborn as a dwarf", he murmured. "I hope he is well..."

--

**TBC**

--


	11. Thank You

--

**Chapter 11: Thank You**

--

Elrond looked from the elf to his sleeping foster son: "Do not worry", he said, "I firmly believe he is much better than before, now that he is with you again."

Legolas still beheld Aragorn´s pale face and the dark shadows underneath his eyes: "Do you really?", he said doubtfully.

.

Smiling, Elrond and Erestor exchanged another glance, then Elrond put aside the mug he was still holding: "Legolas, look at me", he said gently.

When Legolas did so, he looked him straight in the eyes: "I would have tied Aragorn to his bed if it had been of any use, but even then he would have found a way to get to you.

So there can be no doubt about it: you two are good for each other, and now both of you will mend."

.

As these words were sinking in, Legolas relaxed visibly.

"And now for the broth", Elrond said and reached for the mug once more.

--

When Aragorn awoke a while later, Legolas turned to him again. He waited until the grey eyes had found his own, studying him.

"What is it?", Aragorn whispered, sensing that his friend wanted to say something.

Legolas continued to look at him: "You did not leave me alone, either", he finally stated.

Aragorn smiled: "I could not have."

"I see", Legolas said, somewhat smugly. "I will remind you of this if need be in times to come, mark my words!"

Grinning, his friend slowly sat up, leaned over and planted a kiss on the elf´s forehead.

"What was that for?", Legolas asked, but Aragorn just smiled and laid back down.

"Aragorn", the elf prodded.

"Shshsh...", Aragorn replied, closing his eyes. "I have to rest, otherwise Elrond will drag me back to my own room and lock me in. _And _put a troll on guard."

"Yeah, right...", Legolas said, lying back and crossing his arms, but smiling nevertheless.

.

--

One week later.

Beautiful autumnal light illuminated the garden; the foliage of the trees had turned into different shades of yellow, orange, red, brown and green, thus the leaves seemed to glow.

Elrond stood at the window of his study and watched Aragorn and Legolas, who were sitting on a bench, enjoying the sun. Though the air was crisp, it was warm enough, and they were glad not to have to stay in bed any longer.

.

The elf-lord smiled; they had once more proven how strong their friendship was, how much they could rely on each other.

It lightened Elrond´s mood and relieved him a little to know that Aragorn would always be able to trust Legolas and depend on him in troubled times.

He sighed; there was no doubt about Mordor being regaining its strength, and he shivered at the idea of what that meant.

Those Orcs who had captured Aragorn and Legolas had only been few, and many more would come.

Elrond would have loved to know why they had caught Legolas alive in the first place and where they had intended to take him, but there was no way of finding out now. The elves would have to be even more careful in the future.

.

Looking at the two friends again, Elrond smiled despite his worries: at least there was something good and strong to oppose the evil, a thought he found very comforting.

--

When the sun had disappeared and the air had grown chilly, Aragorn and Legolas got up and went over to the stables.

Alba and Ragnar were accomodated in two adjoining boxes and had recovered well from their adventure.

.

Legolas stroked his mare´s soft muzzle: "Have I thanked you enough, my dear?", he asked her quietly.

Alba pushed her nose against his chest and nuzzled him, snorting contentedly.

Aragorn smiled: "I think that means _yes, but I do not mind if you do it again_."

.

Grinning, Legolas produced an apple. He broke it in two: "Here you go", he said, giving Alba her share and the other half to Ragnar.

The horses chewed with evident pleasure, knowing that these would not be the last for some time.

--

**The End**

--

_Author´s Note_:

Thank you all for reading and reviewing! Check out my new story "Troublesome" as well, the first chapter is up now.

Cheers,

Maj


End file.
